CPU Buying Advice

I currently have an Intel Core i5-3570K paired with an ASUS ROG Maximus motherboard. My power supply is rated at 550W, and I'm running an R9 280X 3GB 384-bit graphics card along with 6GB of Kingston RAM at 1600MHz CL11. I've managed to save up some funds, reaching about $567. I am considering upgrading to a more powerful processor and adding a bit more RAM. I suppose I'm wondering if it makes sense to upgrade right now, or if I should wait. If it does make sense, what kind of processor would be a good choice within that budget? I was thinking maybe an 8-core AMD chip might help me stay ahead of upcoming games for a few years. Thanks!!

Since you aren't running a super weak processor right now (an Intel Core i5 can probably handle most things decently enough), maybe it'd be smarter to just hold out for that new Intel Core architecture or those new Intel chips coming early next year. Plus, you'd get to move over to DDR3 eventually.

If you're dead set on buying something today, I guess you could go for an Intel Core i7-3770K plus 2-4GB of RAM, though honestly, that i7-3770K is basically just your current chip with two extra cores. It's pretty old tech at this point, so if I were you, I’d probably just wait a bit and grab something newer.

fadedorca66 said:Since you aren't running a total potato right now (an Intel Core i5 can handle most things decently enough), it might be smarter to just hold out for the new Intel Core architecture and those upcoming Intel chips dropping early next year. Plus, you’d finally move over to DDR3.

If you're dead set on buying something today, go for an Intel Core i7-3770K plus 2-4GB of RAM, though honestly, the i7-3770K is basically just the same junk as your current chip but with two extra cores. It's old tech at this point, so I’d rather wait a bit and grab something modern.

Tyler (bolded)? Anyway, I'm with fadedorca66 on this one. 👍

Tyler, I was thinking of a four, obviously 😬

With that kind of cash, you aren't finding a motherboard and CPU combo that beats what you've already got. Honestly, there isn't anything worth plugging into that board anyway.
Have you tried overclocking? If not, get on it. If it runs too hot, just grab a decent cooler for $67

Basically, they’re telling you your current build is pretty well-balanced. In theory, there is still some room to "future-proof" this specific platform. For instance, if you sold your CPU for roughly $500-$200 and added an $133 up to an Intel Core i7-3770K—overclocking it to 4-4.3GHz (assuming you have a decent aftermarket cooler)—then sold your GPU for $$333+ to grab an $433 like an NVIDIA RTX 3060, and maybe bumped up the RAM a bit (though 6GB is fine for now), you could upgrade. But the real question is: does any of that actually make sense when your current setup is already solid? You can still run most upcoming games without needing an immediate overhaul. It might be smarter to just ride this configuration for a while and then swap out the entire platform once whatever is next becomes relevant—be it Intel Core architecture, Kaby Lake, Cannon Lake, Zen, or whatever new NVIDIA or AMD cards hit the market down the road.

If you’ve got extra cash burning a hole in your pocket, I’d suggest investing in a large SSD if you don't have one yet. At least you can migrate that drive to your next build.